Is This How We Should Pray?

Last week I posted on the difficulty of following Jesus' teachings when involved in, commenting on, and talking about politics. I had no idea about a recent sermon preached by Tempe Pastor Steven Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church. In it, he specifically calls for President Obama to die and burn in hell. He even goes so far as to say that he will pray for this. Somehow when Jesus called us to pray for our enemies and those who persecute us, I am not sure he had this kind of prayer in mind. Here is the CNN report by Rick Sanchez that includes Pastor Anderson in his own words. It should send chills down your spine. My friend Roy over at Thin Places has also posted on this. Even if you are not trying to lead a life following Jesus, does this stuff concern you?

Faith and Politics... Part of the Continuing Journey

As you know, I spend about half my year serving in Mexico. As such, there are times of the year when it is literally impossible for me to blog, or comment much on current events, and the politics of the day. But that does not mean I stop thinking about how our lives and faith can and do intersect as we go about our day to day existence. Lately I have been thinking a lot about this passage. You might recognize it. It comes from Paul's Epistle to the Philippians. "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." I particularly like where he says "...in humility consider others better than yourselves." Unless I have misread the passage, nowhere does Paul say that we are to do this when others do so towards us. It is just a straightforward admonition, for us to do it! Likewise, when he tells us to look to the interests of others, it is to be understood in light of the statement that we are to consider others better than us. These are tough teachings. Because they call us to think, not of ourselves, but of others. To think not quite so highly of who we are, but rather, of someone else. So here come the 64 thousand dollar questions. How does that happen in politics? For those of us who call ourselves Christians, how is it that we choose to not heed these teachings on our blogs? How is it that there are radio hosts who claim to follow the teachings of God in one breath, but ridicule another man in the next? How is it that in our zeal to defend our particular political hero, we cast aside a biblical call to civility, claim Christ, and then fire away? Terms like libturds, nazis, commies, dolts, idiots, and the list goes on, should have no place if we are serious about what we believe. It is one thing if we are not claiming a place in the Christian faith. But if we are, in the words of that esteemed Cuban Bandleader Ricky Ricardo, "we got some 'splainin' to do." ***Update*** Randall Balmer, and Episcopalian priest, has posted on the topic of civility in political discourse recently on Sojourners. It is a good read.

Swimming and His Kingdom

Yesterday I went swimming at a local swimming pool close to Mitla, Mexico, where I am currently serving. I went with Julian who is 6 and Ruth, who is 8. Their dad is a pastor in this area and because of his work and the wages here, a summer swim is typically out of the question. I have known this family for years and have been staying with them the last couple of weeks. We have come to be close, communicating often and praying for each others families despite the distance between us. So as I was coming to the close of my time in Southern Mexico for 2009, I had an idea. Why not have a couple members of my team join me, and take the kids to a public pool, giving them a great day, and their parents some much needed alone time together to hang out, or get some projects done? We arrived at 11:30am and stayed until the place closed at 5:00pm. Now I'll admit, spending most of the day swimming, flying down water slides and just chillin' is not your typical mission activity. But to me, the church needs to do a lot more of this type of stuff. Things like learning about the lives of people can give you incredible insight into a culture and how to effectively serve. When you spend time listening, you can really begin to see where you can make a difference. This year, because of a weak US economy, increased violence in Mexico, and the Swine Flu, less people have served with us than in the past. That has given me more time to just spend with locals here in Mexico. It is that time that has allowed me to see that a pastors kids just need a fun day. Or someone needs an invitation for a cup of coffee. Or a local church member desperately needs a shoulder to cry on. None of this happens when you are swallowed up in the busyness of ministry. It happens when you stop, take a breather, and look around. And see that stuff like swimming can be used to bring people a little closer to God's Kingdom. (for more of dave's thoughts on short-term mission, check out his ministry blog at www.ailministry.blogspot.com)